Try taking a test shot at ISO1600 and see if you can see the stars in the image.
So, since you need a 30 second shutter speed and a small aperture, such as f/4, proper exposure will be determined by the ISO. If you try to use a smaller aperture, the star trails we be very dim. You will want to use a large aperture (small F stop number) to ensure you have the greatest amount of light entering the camera as possible. When it’s dark and you are ready to begin, which will probably be a couple of hours after sunset at least, you can do some tests to make sure you are getting good exposures. Also, your image stabilization should be off anytime your camera is on a tripod. Remember once you have set the correct focus to turn your auto-focus off so your camera does not attempt to re-focus at night. This is much easier to do during the day than it is once it is dark outside. I like to set up my composition during the day so I get just the right amount of foreground in the frame and set the focus so that the foreground is sharp. If you can’t go a day ahead of time, use your compass and try to get as much sky in the frame as possible. If polaris is not in the frame, the stars will appear to travel in a semi-circle.
If you can manage to get polaris in the frame, all the stars will circle around it. If possible, go one night ahead of time and locate polaris, the north star, in the sky. Once you are on location and the gear is ready to go, you can set up your composition. Star trails in Guadalupe National Park, Texas. This is the easiest but most expensive way to go about it.įinally, make sure you have a fully charged battery since the cold night may cause your battery life to be shorter than usual. If you have an intervalometer, you can program it to take a specific number of images of a particular shutter speed. But, with a cable release you can set your camera to continuous shooting and lock the cable release and your camera will continue to make images until you unlock it. You can use the 2 second timer on your camera and manually click the shutter continuously for half an hour. The most important thing you will need is a tripod to stabilize your camera during the long exposures.Ī cable release or intervalometer is extremely handy but not essential. I usually use a 30 second shutter speed and make 60 images. While it is possible to take one very long exposure, often the heat coming from the sensor will cause hot spots in your final image. The best way to go about making an image of star trails is to take multiple exposures and combine them in post processing. It should also be a clear night with no clouds.Similar to what happens with city lights, the stars are not as visible when the moon brightens the sky. Or at least the moon cannot be above the horizon while you are photographing. Plan your star photography adventure for a moonless night.It must be something that doesn’t move like a mountain or a building.
For the photograph to have a sense of place, you will need something interesting in the foreground.Recently I was in Nevada, about an hour’s drive away from Las Vegas, and I couldn’t believe the amount of light in the sky from the city.
If you live in a big city, this could mean traveling some distance.
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